Giants’ offseason makeover faces immediate test in season opener against Commanders
New-look New York will open Sunday against Washington, the NFC contender that finished one win shy of the Super Bowl.
The New York Giants’ offseason makeover will be thrown directly into the fire Sunday when they open the regular season against the Washington Commanders, the NFL announced Monday.
The matchup pairs a Giants roster that underwent notable changes this offseason with a Commanders team that finished one win shy of reaching the Super Bowl last season. The league could have scheduled New York to open against any of 14 different opponents; instead it selected a divisional showdown that players say will immediately measure the team’s progress.
"We wouldn’t want it any other way," Giants cornerback Dru Phillips said after Monday’s practice. "Especially after the year they had last year and we’re coming in with a new team, so you’re going to find out real fast. We’re excited. We wouldn’t want any other competition, especially a division rival."
Coach and front-office changes, roster moves and the integration of offseason acquisitions created widespread expectation that the Giants will not resemble last season’s club. The Sunday opener will serve as an early barometer for those changes, providing the first full display against a top NFC opponent and a familiar rival.
Washington advanced deep into the postseason last year, falling one victory short of a Super Bowl berth. That makes the season opener a particularly high-stakes evaluation for New York, where fans and analysts will be watching whether the offseason adjustments translate into immediate improvement.
Historically, even in down years the Giants have managed at least a split with Washington. The forthcoming matchup will test whether that trend continues and will offer coaches and executives tangible evidence of where the team stands relative to divisional competition.
The Giants will have limited margin for error in a division that has become more competitive in recent seasons. An early result against the Commanders will shape league and local narratives about New York’s offseason direction, supplementing film study and training-camp reports with a definitive on-field comparison.
The clubs will finalize their active rosters and injury reports in the days leading to kickoff. Until then, the opener stands as the first substantive measure of the Giants’ offseason work, a quick assessment of how the team handles an immediate clash with one of the NFC’s best teams from a year ago.